Budweiser Clydesdale ranch set to open April 1

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter pets one of the Budweiser Clydesdales before the Cardinals' home opener baseball game against the Houston Astros on Monday, April 12, 2010, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) By Jeff Roberson

BOONVILLE, Mo. (AP) -- The mid-Missouri ranch that is home to the Budweiser Clydesdales is about to open for the season.

Opening day for public tours at Warm Springs Ranch near Boonville is Monday. Anheuser-Busch says that 17 Clydesdales have already been born this year at the breeding farm. By the end of the year it is expected that around 35 Clydesdales will be born there.

One of the newborns, Hope, is already a TV star. She was featured in Budweiser’s Super Bowl commercial.

General manager Jeff Knapper says some tour dates are already sold out. The ranch offers twice-daily tours every day but Wednesday at a cost of $10 per person.

The Clydesdales are marking their 80th anniversary with Anheuser-Busch on April 7.